Central Silk Board (CSB), the apex body of the Indian silk industry, has approved three new mulberry varieties for cultivation after undergoing field trials in various parts of the country.
The new varieties are expected to increase the sinking domestic silk production.
Mulberry is the sole food plant for the silkworm, from which the silk yarn is produced. The extent of leaf productivity directly supports the volume of silkworm rearing. The new varieties authorised by the government are Victory-1 (V1), Anantha and Vishala.
These are recommended for the farmers for cultivation across the country after being tested in 18 centres located in different eco-climatic zones, said an official attached to CSB.
The variety V1 is developed by Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute in Mysore.
Its leaves are large, thick, smooth, glossy dark green and ovate. The variety, which has been tested in seven centres in South India, is claimed to be resistant to leaf spot and moderately resistant to leaf rust.
The average leaf yield in these test centres varied from 21,725 kg per hectare in Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu to 70,295 kg per hectares in Thalagattapura in Karnataka in irrigated condition while it yielded 10,960 kg under rain-fed condition in Chamrajanagar in Karnataka.
The variety Anantha, which has been developed by Regional Sericulture Research Station in Andhra Pradesh, is claimed to be resistant to hairy caterpillar, mealy bugs, mites and root rot.
The average leaf yield varied from 25,770 kg to 77,690 kg under irrigated condition while it yielded more than 10,700 kg under rain-fed condition.
The third one Vishala is the fast growing variety with the average yield varied from 26,000 kg to 80,960 kg under irrigated condition.
It could yield more than 11,200 kg in rain fed condition. In the field trials carried out in Northern parts of the country, the same variety recorded a yield in the range of 5,000-18,700 kg.
According to official sources, already 12 varieties of mulberry have been authorised by the government for farmers to cultivate across the country.
Now with the three more new varieties available for farmers, the CSB expects that the silk production could be increased in the coming years to reduce dependence on China for the domestic requirement.